Hampden-Sydney College Admission
Hampden-Sydney College Undergraduate Program
Hampden Sydney College Application

The Facts

Hampden-Sydney College is a small, private, all-male school located in the town of Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. The school is affiliated with the Presbyterian church, and is home to over 1,000 students. The school is one of the oldest colleges in the nation, and was founded in 1776 by a group of trustees including the revolutionary Patrick Henry. The school is perhaps best known for its strict honor code that all students must adhere to at all times. Students at the school work hard, and often struggle to keep up with the demanding curriculum. There are a wide variety of majors offered at the college, many in the areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts; some of the most popular choices include economics, history, political science, biology, and religion.

Admission to the school is not terrifically competitive numerically; however, those who do apply often have been very academically successful in the past. Last year, over 1,200 students applied to the school for admission, and approximately 825 of those students were accepted; of those, about 300 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1030 to 1240, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 20 to 26. Additionally, over 40% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.1.

Hampden-Sydney College has a wonderful student to faculty ratio of 11:1, and because the school is so small, students receive a large amount of individualized attention from their professors. Students rave about their teachers' accessibility and willingness to help, and often count it as the best quality of the college. HSC also offers students some great research opportunities working alongside some of the brightest scientists in the nation.

The Social Scene

The town (if it can even be called a town) of Hampden-Sydney is a rural area located about an hour outside of the city of Richmond, Virginia . Most students have cars, and often take weekend mini-road trips to Richmond for a bit more urban excitement. The campus and surrounding area itself is full of history, and is near the Appomattox Court House, where General Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War. Many students are quite the history buffs, and reenacting Civil War battles that took place nearby is a popular activity.

The school has a large number of fraternities that many of the college's men get involved in eventually. They throw big parties, of course, but also do a lot of charity and fundraising work for various causes, keeping in line with the honorable and gentlemanly standards of the college. Sports are also quite popular at the school, and over 70% of the college population plays some kind of a sport during the year.

The dating scene is terrific if you're a dude into dudes...

What’s Good

“Everyone here has a real sense of honor and respect. It's something you don't see much in young men anymore.”

“The research opportunities are incredible, and give you a chance to get a large taste of what is to come in your career.”

“The teachers are always willing to talk to you and help you out, even if it means meeting with you more than once... (gasp!)”

What’s Bad

“After awhile, you get really sick of seeing only guys. Whenever a girl visits campus, the poor girl gets TONS of attention.”

“We are pretty isolated, and after awhile you are ready to just get out and go somewhere in ‘civilization.'”

“The honor code can be a bit stifling sometimes. It's very militaristic.”

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